The Common Signs & Symptoms of Asthma

If you haven’t been diagnosed with asthma, you probably know someone that has. Asthma is a breathing disorder that occurs when the bronchial tubes become inflamed and these tubes fill up with a sticky secretion that makes it difficult to breath. People that have asthma may experience shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and suffer from tightness or pain in their chest.

It is important to keep in mind that people with asthma might endure a variety of different symptoms. For example, if you have asthma, you may have trouble breathing when you go to the gym but may not, if ever, experience pain in your chest. Oddly enough, you may experience some of these symptoms for a few weeks at a time and then go a short time period without noticing them again. Because of this variance in symptoms and the way that these symptoms can come and go, it can be difficult to know whether or not you have asthma and are suffering from an asthma attack.

What are the Early Symptoms of Asthma?

If you have asthma or you aren’t completely sure whether or not you suffer from it, the signs of an asthma attack may come on gradually and manifest themselves just as your regular symptoms at first. However, as the attack worsens, these symptoms may become more severe over time.

The initial signs of an asthma attack include:

• Feeling tired and easily worn out after exercising.
• Coughing frequently at night.
• Wheezing and coughing incessantly after working out.
• Becoming out of breath easily.
• Trouble getting a good night’s rest.
• Cold and allergy symptoms like a runny nose, sore threat, or headache.

Being familiar with these signs and symptoms can help you control your asthma and prevent an asthma attack from getting severe. If you have not been previously diagnosed with asthma but suffer from any of these symptoms, it would be wise to consult with your doctor as soon as you can. They may be able to give you some recommendations for controlling these symptoms. From breathing exercises to carry around an inhaler, getting relief will likely be slightly different for all of us. It is important to discuss your options with your doctor and formulate a plan of action.

What are the Signs of an Asthma Attack?

If you do have asthma, it is important to not only know the signs and symptoms of the condition, but to also be aware of the signs of an asthma attack. An asthma attack happens when the muscle surrounding your airways is prompted to tighten, otherwise known as a bronchospasm. When you have an asthma attack, your airways will become swollen and start producing more mucus then they usually would.

When you have an asthma attack you may experience the following signs:

• Pain or pressure in your chest.
• Coughing that won’t stop.
• Feelings of panic and anxiety.
• Rapid breathing accompanied by wheezing when you breathe in and out.
• Problems talking and a sweaty or pale face.

Remember, these symptoms can increase rapidly as the asthma attack progresses. Watch out for these signs and use your inhaler or bronchodilator if you notice that they start to worsen. It is also important to remember that not wheezing anymore isn’t a sign of improvement in an asthma attack. When you stop wheezing, your lungs will have tightened so much that there is not enough air movement throughout your lungs for your body to produce this wheezing effect. This problem can be fatal, which is why it is essential to seek emergency care as soon as possible.

Asthma and Children

If you are a parent, you should watch out for the signs of asthma in your child because it typically affects between 10-12% of children in the United States. While your child can develop asthma early on in their life, the common symptoms of asthma, like coughing, wheezing, and chest pain, generally will start to manifest themselves when your child reaches five years of age.

Since the signs of asthma can be inconsistent, your child may not wheeze and their coughing might be written off by a medical professional as recurrent bronchitis. If these symptoms persist, talk with your doctor and ask them whether or not they think that asthma could be a possibility for your child.

The next time you or your child experience wheezing, coughing, or pain and tightness in your chest, get the care that you need so that your asthma does not result in a life-threatening asthma attack.

What You Can Do Right Now: Indoor Air Quality

If you suffer from any of the above symptoms, you may want to consider taking a closer look at the air you breathe. It’s possible that something in your home may be a trigger for some of your symptoms. While you would need to discuss these potential triggers with your doctor, improving your indoor air quality is one of the most important things you can do for your health. This is especially true if somebody in your home is smoker.

Whether you buy a bunch of houseplants to help purify your air, or buy an air purifier designed with asthma sufferers in mind, there are many things you can do right now to improve your indoor air quality. It may not have a direct effect on your asthma symptoms, but it’s always good to breathe in more of the pure oxygen your body craves and less of the potentially-harmful pollutants that sometimes come along with it.

Recommended Reading:

• List of Air Purifiers for Your Asthma
• The Benefits of Air Purifiers: An Overview
• The 5 Most Common Types of Air Purifiers
• How to Remove Cigarette Smoke From Your Indoor Air